Austria's far-left president, Alexander Van der Bellen, has suggested that one day all women must wear headscarves to fight Islamophobia.

During a talk to students, Van der Bellen said that whilst be believes a woman should wear "whatever she wants", should Austria's "rampant Islamophobia continue, there will come a day when we must ask all women to wear a headscarf – all of them! – out of solidarity towards those who do it for religious reasons".

Van der Bellen, who was sworn in as president in January after defeating anti-mass migration Freedom Party candidate Norbert Hofer in last December's presidential re-run, has spoken of his support for abolishing national borders and creating a federal Europe, describing it as a "project of peace".